The Rogue

XXXXI

*Faye*

The moon streamed in from the window across the room and fell across Rian's relaxed face. He never looked as peaceful as he did asleep. I wanted to help him live a life where he could always look that way. For now, though, we couldn't have that. A peaceful life was something we could only dream of, as I had allowed us to dream tonight.

I stole one more glimpse of him before easing out from under his arm and off the bed. While I wanted to do nothing more than lay beside him through the entire night and maybe even get a full night's sleep, something else had been bothering me all day. The door squeaked a little as I guided it open, but Rian remained submerged in his dreams.

Although it was hardly eleven-thirty, the entire house was quiet and dark. Pendleton seemed to be a sleepy town, for which I was thankful. We needed to make this tranquility last as long as possible. Tomorrow we would be heading back to Whitewater territory. Whether Rian knew it or not.

It took me a few minutes to find the house telephone in the kitchen. I hoped the owner wouldn't mind that I needed to borrow it. Picking up the receiver, I dialed the number of my old home. I knew one of my parents, if not both, would be home. With the time difference, they were a little past eight o'clock over there, so my parents were likely watching television before bed.

Someone answered after the third ring.

"Hello?" breathed my dad with a heavy sigh.

"Dad," I replied uncertainly, "it's me."

"Faye!"

"I'm just calling to let you know I'm o—"

"What were you thinking?" he barked through the line. "Do you have any idea how worried your mom and I have been worried about you? You ran away! We notified the police and they've been searching for you."

"You what?"

"You can't think this is okay, Faye. You have to come home. Right now."

I didn't know what to say. The police were looking for me? My parents must have known I was coming to Oregon; I'd told them as much! My stomach knotted anxiously while I tried to wrap my head around this horrific situation.

"I'm not coming home," I said with all the calmness I could muster. "Not any time soon, at least. I'm sorry. I love you, but you need to call off the search. I'm not in any danger."

"You can't even see how insane this is! You will come—"

"This is my choice. Tell Mom I love her. Don't worry about me."

"Faye!"

"Bye, Dad."

I placed the receiver down a little too harshly, and the plastic crashed together. My pulse raced in my ears as tears flooded my eyes. This wasn't the way I ever wanted it to be. It was so unfair. Why couldn't I have everyone I loved in my life? Had I made a mistake by choosing Rian over them?

No. My doubts were silly. I had tried to live without Rian and discovered I couldn't live at all like that. This was the way things were going to have to be, and I was just going to have to accept it. Still, coming to terms with never seeing my family again was not easy. They had been the ones at my side for the last eighteen years. In a way, this felt like betrayal.

"Who was that?" murmured a voice from behind me.

Gasping, I jumped and spun around. Rian stood in the shadow of the kitchen door, his blue eyes hidden behind a mask of wariness. My muscles relaxed. I tried to figure out how to explain this as I took a step towards him, needing to feel his strength.

"What are you doing up?" I asked.

"You first." The expression on his face edged more towards suspicion now.

Hopefully the truth wouldn't hurt, because I had no excuse. "It was my dad," I said. "I just wanted to let them know I was okay."

"And why was he yelling at you?"

That impish eavesdropper.

Annoyed, I muttered, "Because I ran away."

His brows rose as if to tell me to further explain, but I was irritated he spied on me. Jaw clenched, I strode past him, out of the kitchen, and up the stairs. He followed on my heels until we were both back in the bed. I jerked the covers over my head and turned my back to him.

"Faye," he whispered, a hand snaking across my hip, "why did you run away?"

"Why do you think?"

When he successfully managed to pull me across the bed and beneath the cage of his arms, all the while still under the comforter, his face had become tender with understanding. I squirmed at what I anticipated was about to happen.

"You went back to Georgia with your father," he assumed, "and then came back to Oregon to find me. But your parents didn't want you to leave, did they?"

Rather than answer, I just tried to wiggle free of his arms. My efforts were always in vain. Rian drew me so close that our chests pressed together every time we breathed. He was propping himself up on one elbow and holding me with the other hand.

"I love you," he told me. "I know how hard it is for you to leave them for me. I see how it costs you."

For some annoying reason, I began crying. I wiped the tears away with the backs of my hands until he gathered my wrists in his fingers and held them above my head.

"I love you, too," I grumbled. "I just don't want to talk about this right now. I don't want to talk about them."

"I understand."

"Then what are you doing?"

"Building your confidence in my support. I want you to know that I appreciate the sacrifices you've made for me. Every single one of them."

Warmth bled through my veins, stretching out from my chest and down my limbs. It left my fingers and toes tingling. I strained against his hold to kiss his lips.

"You know," I whispered, "we have to go back tomorrow."

To my shock, he closed his eyes, dipped his head to my throat, and confessed, "I know."

"You do?"

"Of course. I can't abandon my pack." His eyelashes fluttered against the soft skin under my chin. "You let me dream, though. You reminded me of how it feels to be human."

My mouth lifted in a grin. I was his anchor to this world, and he was mine to the wolves. His teeth nibbled on the scar he left so long ago and I had to clamp my teeth together to keep from crying out in surprise. He wanted me now, but I knew this wasn't the moment. I wanted to wait longer.

"Rian," I barely squeaked. "Stop. Please...stop."

His breath fanned out across my neck. For a moment, I thought he was going to completely disregard my plea. Then he pulled back, pushing the comforter aside to get some air. My lungs greedily drank in the cool oxygen, a welcomed change from the damp heat of our bodies under the sheets.

"We're going to need our sleep," I reminded him.

When I tried to move back to my side of the bed, he refused to release me. I realized I could only win so much in a single night and decided laying with his arms around me wouldn't be so terrible after all. We fell asleep together, curled around each other with a grin rising to my cheeks.

So much for my horizontal rule.